The Torah That Fell in Times Square

I was in the city last night. Times square. I love the city. It's such a cool place. Even strolling alone, I felt part of it.

At one point I noticed the homelessness around me and it was pretty gruesome. Some sleeping. Some staggering. Some shouting. One women even took someone to the street cart and bought her a meal and a drink.

Each time I saw one I whispered, wow there's God laying in the streets. I can't say I did something about it, but I took notice. I noticed the soul beyond the form. There He was, God writhering in pain on the floor.

One guy was on all fours over a pizza box while devouring a slice. He looked more animal then human. And I whispered again, wow that's God in deep pain.

I remembered a custom we have, that when a sefer Torah falls to the floor, the entire congregation fast as a result of its fall. Not just out of respect, but that something sacred hit the ground on our watch.

I was thinking why don't we fast when God chooses to lay sprawled out on the streets of Manhattan? Who do we think is laying there if not for a sefer Torah in human form?

Maybe that's actually the reason we fast, not to inflict pain on ourselves and feel guilty, but to remind ourselves how much compassion we humans should have. To remind ourselves how much to truly feel.

I ate this night. I slept. I drove home in luxury, while God lays on the concrete floor in the city that never sleeps.

Fasting can be in many forms. Like the woman who took one of these God like humans and bought them a meal. Money she could've used for herself. Time she could've spent with her family. But she choose God

Fasting can mean writing about it. Fasting can mean, looking and praying for them. Fasting can mean us seeing past the situation these people find themselves in.

But if fasting only means fasting and a box we check off, then maybe we missed the point of the fast. Then it's just going thru the motion without internalizing it's true message.

Maybe the Torah already fell and we still haven't looked down.

איש